WEST POINT, N.Y. – Bucknell sophomore attackman Austin Winter scored six points, including five assists, as the fourth-seeded Bison upended top-seeded Army, 8-7, in the semifinals of the Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, Friday afternoon, at Michie Stadium.
Junior attackman Joe Mele tallied three goals, while junior midfielder Perry Menzies added two goals and an assist as Bucknell (10-4) picked up their first-ever Patriot League Tournament victory to advance to the championship game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Army (9-5) senior Adam Fullerton, who earlier in the week was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, made 10 saves to register his tenth double-digit scoring game of the season and become the Academy’s all-time leader in saves with 610 over the last four years. Junior attackman Jason Peyer totaled two goals and two assists to lead the Black Knight attack.
In a game that saw and five lead changes and six ties, neither team led by more than two goals and was tied at halftime, 5-5. It was also the ninth time in the last 11 meetings that the game was decided by one goal.
Army took a quick 1-0 lead twenty seconds into the game as senior Roy Ragusa picked up a loose ball off the opening faceoff and found the net with an eight-yard bouncer. Bucknell answered right back as junior Doug Buckley found freshman attackman Ryan Klipstein wide open just outside the Army crease at 13:09.
Freshman midfielder Rob McCallion took a feed from senior attackman Justin Bokmeyer and ripped home Army’s second goal of the game from 12-yards out to make it a 2-1 Black Knight edge at 11:17.
Following a Black Knight penalty, Mele scored a man-up goal at 8:01 off Winter’s first assist to as the score was tied, 2-2, after the first period.
Winter fed Mele for their second-straight goal 45 seconds into the second period, before McCallion took a Peyer feed and scored a six-yard bouncer to tie the game back up, 3-3, at 13:44.
Army took a 4-3 lead after Peyer picked up a loose ball following a Bison turnover and hit a streaking junior attackman Brooks Korvin for a goal at 7:23. The Black Knights took the game’s first two-goal lead after junior midfielder Alex Rhoads converted a feed from freshman attackman Jeremy Boltus from six-yards out to make the score 5-3 at 5:01.
Winter dodged from behind the goal and beat Fullerton high for to make it a 5-4 affair at 1:18 before hooking up with Mele for the third with 26 seconds on the clock to send the two teams into halftime tied, 5-5.
Bucknell struck first in the second half as Menzies grabbed a loose ball and fed sophomore attackman Tim Brandau to put the Bison up, 6-5, with 12:12 on the third quarter clock.
Two straight goals by Peyer put Army back into the lead. He first scored off a feed from Boltus at 8:51, before putting Army back on top, 7-6, off an assist by senior midfielder Mike Hanna at 4:56.
Bucknell tied it back up with 40 seconds on the third-quarter clock as Menzies converted Winters’ fourth assist to make it a 7-7 game after three quarters of play.
Menzies accounted for the only goal of the final quarter, cashing in Winters’ fifth assist for the eventual game winner at 9:55 as Bucknell picked up their second victory over Army this season. The Bison also defeated the Black Knights, 7-4, on April 4th in Lewisburg, Pa.
GAME NOTES: Bucknell awaits the winner of Friday night’s other semifinal between second-seeded Navy and third-seeded Colgate ... the loss was the Black Knights’ first home loss of the year after finishing 5-0 in the regular season ... Army entered the game ranked 11th in the latest USILA National Coach’s Poll and 13th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media poll, while Bucknell was 19th and 20th, respectively ... Fullerton moved past George Slabowski ’84 for the all-times saves lead at Army, eclipsing the former record of 603 ... the Black Knights fell to 2-4 in four Patriot League Tournament appearances, falling in the first round for the second-straight year after finishing runner-up for two consecutive seasons ... Army is still in the mix for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid and will travel to Philadelphia next Saturday to take on Pennsylvania at 4:00 p.m. at Franklin Field.
|
